Scary moment at Charlotte: Bubba Wallace walks under own power after NASCAR wreck
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
Bubba Wallace exited the Bank of America 400 on Lap 77 after Alex Bowman spun into him near the bank on the Turn 2 corner exit.
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Wallace, driver of the No. 23 car in the NASCAR Cup Series, had to be helped out of his car by the emergency staff but was able to walk to an ambulance before being cleared at the medical center. Wallace lingered in the car for a few minutes once slowing to a stop, though — long enough for health workers to unload a stretcher that Wallace ultimately didn’t use.
Bowman hit the back left side of Wallace’s car, spinning both of them out and ending each of their previously promising days.
A replay of the Lap 77 incident involving @BubbaWallace, @Alex_Bowman and @WilliamByron. https://t.co/DrRhyoFzf3
“As soon as I touched the throttle, it snapped, and it obviously caught me off guard, and I overcorrected and just did a (bad) job,” Bowman said. “Ruined some guys’ days. So I hate that for William and Bubba. It’s on me”
Wallace, who is in 10th place in the NASCAR Chase Cup standings, was fighting for fourth place when the crash happened late in Stage 1. The playoff driver is now buried deep in the standings with only four playoff races ahead of him.
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“I’m fine,” Wallace told reporters. “I’m talking to you guys. Maybe I’m not okay, but I’m talking to y’all, I don’t know.”
The path to the Chase Cup will be harder from here, but Wallace has gone through this before. He has recorded three accident DNFs (Did Not Finish) in the 2026 season.
“I’m starting to fall a little bit, but still a lot of opportunity in front of us, and unfortunately Alex got loose and we were just a byproduct,” Wallace said. “Unfortunate. No hard feelings.”
William Byron, who was behind Bowman and hit his car a moment later, was also knocked out of the race. All three are okay.
That Stage 1 wreck was one of many difficult moments for playoff drivers through the afternoon. Denny Hamlin served a safety violation after a tire bounced out of his team’s pit box, sending him to the back of the field temporarily. Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs also suffered either penalties or damage that dampened their day early.
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